Marney Cox, San Diego Association of Governments

Community colleges could provide an opportunity to correct some unfortunate trends in higher education, including improving college access and graduation rates, better matching jobs with appropriate skills and education requirements, lowering the cost of college, and help stem the current trend toward income inequality. Community colleges could provide more college graduates, which have higher employment rates and earn 84 percent more than high school graduates, at a more affordable price; community college tuition is one-tenth the cost of a private college. Last, too many four year students drop out before finishing, community colleges could offer options, such as associate degrees or a skill, both improving student earnings potential.

Yes
89% (134)

No
11% (16)

Phil Blair, Manpower

Community colleges are the best education bargain around. When I review applicants’ resumes, I care where they graduated from, not where they spent the first two years of their education. If you have financial constraints, I highly recommend community colleges. Likewise California’s community college system can very cost-effectively produce bachelor degrees for the same value. Without the overhead of dormitories, sports teams, etc., students can live at home and concentrate on their education while even working full time. And I have no reservations that our community college system can select focuses and prepare students for bachelor degrees just as well as our impacted four-year (or five- or six-year) universities. We have the assets -- let’s use them to their fullest.

Kelly Cunningham, National University System

California needs 1 million more bachelor degree holders by 2025, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Allowing the state’s 112 community colleges to offer four-year degrees in specialized fields such as nursing or information technology could help avoid shortages of these workers. This would also help communities meet unique needs of local businesses, provide training for actually existing jobs, and allow students to avoid time-consuming, costly and confusing transfer processes. Community colleges help keep costs low and are often closer to where students live. Greater educational alternatives would also help alleviate some of the pressures on rising tuition costs.

Gina Champion-Cain, American International Investments

Any form of increased educational capacity will eventually translate into a more employable, better compensated, higher functioning workforce. All of the above will create a more robust local economy. Greater accessibility to four-year degrees for qualified candidates should be embraced regardless of the source. The market will sort out the value of the degree based on the product produced. Competition for degree providers is healthy; let the pilot program fly.

Alan Gin, University of San Diego

The economy requires a more educated workforce than ever before, and the CSU and UC systems may not have the capacity to meet that need. To avoid duplication, the legislation recently passed in the state legislature prohibited the granting of degrees in fields already being offered in the state systems. That limits the potential benefits, particularly in the field in most need of more four-year degrees, namely nursing. Community colleges being able to offer four-year degrees would also give students a less costly alternative to the soaring tuition found in traditional four-year colleges, although some would argue that there would be a quality differential.